It's true, breastfeeding is tough. I heard it all the time before I had my daughter, and I thought to myself, how tough could it be? I assumed these moms were being overly dramatic and exaggerating. Well, they were right, breastfeeding doesn't happen without some effort for the most of us. Thankfully, I've had a lot of support; from my mom and mother-in-law to my lactation consultant, and my BFF's who are also new moms and in the same boat as me.
Let's cut to the chase. Breastfeeding mama's need to increase their caloric intake by 500 calories a day and ensure they're staying hydrated. I've added healthy fat and protein to my diet and have been consuming at least 100 ounces of water a day. I have also found myself testing out all the galactagogues, aka a substance that promotes or increases the flow of a mother's milk --from bone broth to oatmeal to brewers yeast and the latest superfood trend, moringa.
Here is the first of three simple snack recipes that I will be sharing. Two of the ingredients in these lactation bites are galactogogues, oats and brewers yeast. Enjoy one or two bites a day. You can enjoy these even if you're not a breastfeeding mama, just skip the brewers yeast.
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup ground or milled flaxseed
3 tablespoons brewers yeast
1 cup peanut butter or almond butter (I like to use both, a 1/2 cup of each)
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup mini dark chocolate chips
pinch of salt
Directions:
You can use a spatula or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to combine ingredients.
In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients: oats, flaxseed, brewers yeast, chocolate chips, and salt.
In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients: peanut and almond butters, coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Add the mixed wet ingredients to the mixture of dry ingredients, stir together until well combined.
Roll into bite size balls.
Refrigerate or freeze.
Enjoy!
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